Get access to some of industry's greatest problem solvers

Whether you join TWI as an individual through our Professional Membership, or your company joins us as an Industrial Member, being part of TWI grants access to a package of benefits unavailable anywhere else.

By becoming a member you will open a door to a unique combination of expertise, facilities and support. You will be joining more than 2000 Industrial Members and 5000 Professional Members, including many of world’s biggest and most successful companies.

Providing solutions and adding value

TWI is one of the world’s foremost independent research and technology organisations, with expertise in solving problems in all aspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-life integrity management technologies.

Underwater laser cutting

Connect, no.172, May/June 2011, p.1

Last year TWI reported results of a project supported by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to demonstrate the potential of high power lasers for concrete scabbling and pipe cutting during the Waste Management conference in Phoenix and the European Nuclear conference in Barcelona.

As a consequence of the interest generated within in the industry, particularly with respect to the cutting results, TWI has now demonstrated an additional capability to cut thick section materials and also to cut underwater.

The latter capability has applications where items are either located in a submerged environment, such as a nuclear fuel storage pool or reactor vessel, or due to potential fire risk have to be submerged before cutting can take place. Options for use in off-shore decommissioning are also being investigated.

The laser cutting principle requires, in addition to the laser beam, a gas jet delivered concentric to the beam. TWI has used this gas jet to create a localised gaseous environment immediately adjacent to the steel surface being cut. In preliminary demonstrations, a steel plate 12mm thick, submerged under 300mm of water, has been cut at a speed of approximately 0.4m/min.

The photographs show the cutting in progress and the resulting cut edge TWI is now seeking to develop this technology to a stage where it can be operationally deployed and so is interested in discussing requirements with potential partner companies.